Monthly Archives: February 2020

South Orange, NJ – February 28, 2020 — As football fans begin to test the new XFL, now three weeks old, 27 percent of those who have watched at least part of a game say they find it more interesting than a typical NFL broadcast, and 48 percent find it just as interesting. Twenty-four percent say it is less interesting.

While only 26 percent of respondents said they had seen some part of a game during its three weeks on the air, those who saw it liked what they saw.

This was the finding of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week across the country among 693 adults on landlines and cellphones. The Poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percent.

“It’s early, but that’s terrific news for the XFL,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. “The NFL is a beloved American institution. That 75 percent of those who have sampled the XFL find it just as interesting or more so has got to bring big smiles to the XFL founders.”

This was the finding of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week across the country among 693 adults on landlines and cellphones. The Poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percent.

Extend NFL Season to 17 Games?
The Poll also asked whether people were in favor of extending the NFL season from 16 to 17 games (while reducing the pre-season games to three from four). Thirty-one percent said they were for the extended schedule because it meant more football, 24 percent were opposed because they were fine with things the way they were, and 28 percent were against it because of the greater risk of injury to the players.

Questions and breakdown below.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone February 24-26 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

The NFL has suggested making some dramatic changes to its regular season schedule. The season would be extended to 17 games, reducing the pre-season games to 3 for each team. Which of the following do you most agree with:

1 – I’m for it because it’s more football 31

2 – I’m against it because things were fine the way they were 24

3 – I’m against it because an additional game means

additional risk of injury for players 28

4- Don’t Know/No Opinion 17

Have you watched any part of an XFL game during the first 3 weeks of the inaugural season?

1 – Yes 26

2 – No 72

3 – Don’t know 3

IF YES TO ABOVE

Do you think the XFL broadcast presentation is more interesting than a typical NFL broadcast, less interesting or about the same?

1 – More interesting 27

2 – Less interesting 24

3 – About the same 48

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 1

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

17% less inclined to follow baseball because of handling of Astros scandal; 63% Have Less Respect for US Government Following Impeachment Proceedings

South Orange, NJ – February 27, 2020 — By a sizeable margin, a majority of Americans feel that individual players should have been punished by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for their role in the sign stealing scandal surrounding the Houston Astros.

Fifty-four percent, responding to a national Seton Hall Sports Poll this week, said yes to punishing players in what was acknowledged as a player-driven scheme. Only 17 percent felt they should not be punished. Twenty-nine percent said they don’t know or had no opinion.

This was consistent with public opinion in the first week of this month when 52 percent said the Astros world championship should have been taken away, and 35 percent said it should not.

The Poll was administered this week to 693 adults across the country on landlines and cellphones. It has a +/- 3.8 percent margin of error.

Serious Effort or Coverup?
Manfred’s explanation for not punishing the players was his need to grant immunity to get the players to testify. Only 14 percent felt the investigation was a serious effort, while 49 percent said it was a cover up. Thirty-six percent didn’t know or had no opinion.

Pete Rose?
Pete Rose weighed in after MLB’s findings to say the lack of punishment of players should clear the way for his being made eligible for Hall of Fame induction. Fifty-seven percent felt he should be made eligible, with 25 percent saying no. There was no change from when the same question was asked four years ago (56 percent said yes, 25 percent said no). However, when asked if the Astros situation should have bearing on Rose’s eligibility, 58 percent said no and 30 percent said yes.

“Rose’s support has been stable over the four years, so at first glance it appears that the Astros situation has had no bearing, noted Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. “However, with 30 percent saying that the Astros make his case stronger, this may be a good argument for Rose to keep making.”

Big Papi Calls Foulon Whistleblower Timing, Fans AgreeFormer Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz stated that the pitcher who “blew the whistle” on the scandal (Mike Fiers) did so while with Oakland, after reaping the benefits of the 2017 world championship trophy, ring and winning share. Ortiz felt he should have said something while still with Houston. Fifty-five percent agreed with Big Papi, and 24 percent disagreed. Twenty-one percent had no opinion.

Sports Leagues Fare Better in Public Opinion than the U.S. Government

The Poll asked a series of questions that took a measurement of how the public views league handling of recent sports issues compared with the government’s handling of impeachment.

MLB and Astros
For MLB’s handling of the Astros scandal, 17 percent said they are less inclined to follow the game and only seven percent of the public more inclined. It has no effect on 70 percent of the public.

NFL and Brain Injury
For the NFL’s handling of the risk of permanent brain injury, 20 percent are less inclined to follow the league, 12 percent more inclined and it has no effect on 61 percent.

NBA and Kobe
In the wake of the NBA’s handling of events following the death of Kobe Bryant, seven percent is less inclined to follow the league and 15 percent is more inclined to follow the league. 75 percent say it has no effect.

U.S. Government and Impeachment Proceedings
But when it comes to the U.S. Government following the impeachment proceedings, 63 percent expressed less respect for the government, and only eight percent more respect. Only 22 percent said it had no effect.

“Our Poll indicated that the Astros situation has taken a toll on the public’s respect for MLB and the NFL has been similarly challenged,” said Gentile. “But this is a small loss of confidence compared to the results of the impeachment hearings.”

Questions and breakdowns may be found below.

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

This poll was conducted by telephone February 24-26 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

The controversy continues surrounding the punishment of the Houston Astros by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for illegal sign stealing during their 2017 season and World Series Championship. Do you think the Commissioner should have punished the players

in what has been acknowledged as a player-driven scheme?

1 – Yes 54%

2 – No 17

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 29

The commissioner’s explanation for not penalizing the players is that they were granted immunity as an incentive to testifying in the investigation of the scheme. Do you think the investigation was a serious effort to punish wrongdoing or a cover up?

1 – Serious effort 14

2 – Cover up 49

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 36

Former Red Sox great David Ortiz has said the pitcher who blew the whistle on the Astros scandal did not act honorably because he should have said something while still on the Astros instead of reaping the benefits of the World Series Championship and then exposing the scandal after he was traded. Do you agree with Ortiz or disagree?

1 – Agree 55

2 – Disagree 24

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 21

Do you think Pete Rose should be made eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame?

1 – Yes 57

2 – No 25

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 18

Pete Rose has suggested that the lack of punishment for Astros’ players for cheating should clear the way for his being considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite his having confessed to gambling on baseball games while an active Major League manager.

Do you think the Astros situation should have any bearing on Rose’s eligibility for induction?

1 – Yes 30

2 – No 58

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 12

Has the way Major League Baseball handled the Astros cheating scandal made you more inclined to follow the game, less inclined to follow the game or has it had no effect on your interest in baseball?

1 – More inclined 7

2 – Less inclined 17

3 – No effect 70

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 6

Has the way the National Football League handles the risk of permanent brain injury to its players made you more inclined to follow the NFL, less inclined, or has it had no effect on your interest in the NFL?

1 – More inclined 12

2 – Less inclined 20

3 – No effect 61

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 7

Has the way the National Basketball Association dealt with the tragic death of Kobe Bryant made you more inclined to follow professional basketball, less inclined or has it had no effect on your interest in professional basketball?

1 – More inclined 15

2 – Less inclined 7

3 – No effect 75

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 3

Has the way Congress handled the impeachment trial of President Trump given you more respect for the U.S. Government, less respect for the Government or has had no effect on your respect for the Government?

1 – More respect 8

2 – Less respect 63

3 – No effect 22

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 7

The NFL has suggested making some dramatic changes to its regular season schedule. The season would be extended to 17 games, reducing the pre-season games to 3 for each team. Which of the following do you most agree with:

1 – I’m for it because it’s more football 31

2 – I’m against it because things were fine the way they were 24

3 – I’m against it because an additional game means

additional risk of injury for players 28

4- Don’t Know/No Opinion 17

Have you watched any part of an XFL game during the first 3 weeks of the inaugural season?

1 – Yes 26

2 – No 72

3 – Don’t know 3

IF YES TO ABOVE

Do you think the XFL broadcast presentation is more interesting than a typical NFL broadcast, less interesting or about the same?

1 – More interesting 27

2 – Less interesting 24

3 – About the same 48

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 1

How closely would you say you follow football, Very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

1 – Very closely 20

2 – Closely 29

3 – Not closely 31

4 – Not at all 20

February 6

The Houston Astros were fined, lost draft choices and had the Manager and General Manager suspended for one year (and later fired by the team) by Major League Baseball for illegally stealing signs electronically to possibly help them win the 2017 World Series. Do you think their World Series Championship should also have been taken away?

South Orange NJ, February 10, 2020 — By a wide margin – 52 percent to 35 percent, Americans believe that the Houston Astros’ world championship of 2017 should have been taken away.

No professional sports team in a major sport has ever been penalized to such an extreme, but that did not seem to faze public opinion in this case. (A decision on the Boston Red Sox and cheating is still to come).

The Seton Hall Sports Poll was conducted last week among 662 adults on landlines and cellphones across America. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percent.

In the wake of MLB’s findings that the Astros employed video sign-stealing methods during games (with the payoff being the banging of a garbage can by a bat), the majority of people thought that having the manager and general manager suspended and the loss of draft choices was not enough.

Hurts the GameThe tough attitude was reflected in a further question, in which the public was asked whether a team breaking rules to gain an unfair advantage was “no big deal” or really hurtful to the game. Eighty-four percent said it really hurts the game with only eight percent saying it happens all the time and is no big deal.

What About Politicians Who Break the Laws?Similarly, the public was of the same mind about politicians breaking laws to get an unfair advantage over an opponent. 83 percent said it really hurts the country, and 12 percent said it happens all the time and is no big deal.

By Gender and Political Affiliation: Game and PoliticsHowever, there are some interesting differences by gender and party affiliation. In regard to the game, men and women were pretty similar with men choosing by 82 to 9 percent and women 85 to 8 percent that it hurts the game rather than “no big deal.” In regard to politics, men were 80 to 17 percent and women were 87 to 8 percent. In regard to the game the parties were pretty similar, with Democrats 90 to 8 and Republicans 86 to 8 that it “really hurts the game.”

In regard to politics, however, Republicans at 68 to 23 were much less concerned that breaking the laws hurt the country than Democrats at 88 to 9.

Winning at All Costs, Sports or Politics?The Poll also asked how the public sees the relative competitiveness between politics and sports and found that 53 percent saw “winning at all costs” strongest in politics, 20 percent said professional sports and 12 percent said collegiate sports. For Democrats it was 57, 19 and 15, and for Republicans it was 49, 21 and 12. Men and women saw things differently – 57 percent of women said “win at all costs” is strongest in politics (as opposed to 47 percent of men) and 17 percent of women said “win at all costs” was strongest in pro sports, but 24 percent of men felt that way.

Which is More Detrimental, Sign Stealing or PEDs?As for perceptions of wrong doing on sports fields, 38 percent said it was more detrimental to baseball to take performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), with 24 percent saying stealing signs illegally was more detrimental. Thirty-one percent said both.

“The sentiment to strip the Astros of their trophy is well reflected in the seriousness by which people view rule breaking,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business.

Should NBA Change its Logo to Represent Kobe Bryant?Almost as soon as news spread over Kobe Bryan’s tragic death, there began a buzz as to whether to change the NBA logo, which currently features an image based on Jerry West. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said it should be changed to an image of Bryant, with 24 percent saying the current logo should be retained. Twenty-four percent said it should not feature any player, and 5 percent said it should feature someone other than West or Bryant.

Two-thirds of the support for a Bryant image came from those ages 18-29, a sign, seemingly, of the generation of basketball that they grew up with.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone February 3-5 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

The NBA logo is based on basketball icon of the 1960’s and ’70’s Jerry West, who has said he’d rather the NBA use someone else. There is a petition to replace West with Kobe Bryant, the former NBA great who recently lost his life in a helicopter crash. Should the NBA change its logo to be based on Kobe Bryant’s image, keep the current logo, change the logo to feature someone other than West or Bryant or not feature any player?

All 18-29 30-44 45-59 60+

1 – Based on Bryant 28% 67 25 12 17

2 – Keep current logo 24 11 29 27 27

3 – Feature someone other than West or Bryant 5 3 7 4 4

4 – Don’t feature any player 24 13 26 29 26

5 – Don’t know/No opinion 20 7 14 28 27

In general how do you feel about a team breaking rules to get an unfair advantage over an opponent?

In general how do you feel about a politician breaking laws to get an unfair advantage over an opponent?

1 – It happens all the time, no big deal 12 17 8 3 23

2 – It really hurts the country 83 80 87 94 68

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 4 6 1 3 9

Where do you think that “winning at all costs” is strongest, politics, professional sports or collegiate sports?

1 – Politics 53 47 58 57 49

2 – Professional sports 20 24 17 19 21

3 – Collegiate sports 12 14 10 15 12

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 15 16 15 9 18

The Houston Astros were fined, lost draft choices and had the Manager and General Manager suspended for one year (and later fired by the team) by Major League Baseball for illegally stealing signs electronically to possibly help them win the 2017 World Series. Do you think their World Series Championship should also have been taken away?

1 – Yes 52

2 – No 35

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 13

Do you think it is more detrimental to the game of baseball to take performance enhancing drugs or to illegally steal the catcher’s signs and tell the batter what pitch is coming and what the location will be?

1 – Taking PEDs 38

2 – Stealing signs 24

3 – Both 31

4 – Don’t know/No opinion 8

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

1 – Very closely 17

2 – Closely 34

3 – Not closely 29

4 – Not at all 20

How do you identify yourself politically, as a Democrat, as a Republican, as an Independent or not at all?

1 – Democrat 32

2 – Republican 27

3 – Independent 27

4 – None 12

5 – Don’t know/No opinion 4

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

South Orange NJ, February 6, 2020 — Despite the multi-device options available to viewers, Americans still watch their Super Bowl the old fashioned way – on television. (Of course, adding big screens and HD).

Ninety-two percent of those polled this week in a Seton Hall Sports Poll said they watched the game on television, with only eight percent opting for phones, tablets, computer or multiple screens. And despite the increased use of those smaller choices over the last few years, the 92 percent for this year is down only six percent – from 98 percent – in 2016.

The Poll was conducted Monday-Wednesday of this week among 662 adult Americans reached on landlines and cellphones across the country. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percent.

“With all the talk of cord-cutting, third screens, multiple screens and many other technological options, television is still the best way to aggregate eyeballs for advertisers,” noted Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. “And for advertisers, it means showcasing their products on big screens, which they prefer – and continue to pay millions for.”

Super Bowl Advertising
There was news on the advertising side as well: 17 percent of respondents said they saw at least one commercial that made them want to purchase the product advertised. This was up from 12 percent in 2016, the last time the question was asked. Among non-white respondents, 29 percent said they saw something they might want to purchase, compared to 13 percent for whites.

Which Did You Like Best: Game, Halftime Show or the Commercials?

While the game itself was the most enjoyable part of the telecast for 65 percent of viewers, 12 percent named the commercials their favorite, up from seven percent in 2016. Nineteen percent named the halftime show (Jennifer Lopez, Shakira) as the portion of the Super Bowl they enjoyed most— up from 13 percent in 2016 (Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars). The 2016 Poll had the game as the most enjoyable part at 72 percent (Denver-Carolina).

(33 percent of non-whites found the halftime show the most enjoyable part of the telecast, compared to 14 percent of whites).

Jay Z and the NFL: Sincere?
Twenty-six percent of respondents were aware that Jay Z had partnered with the NFL to help promote social justice initiatives. The reaction? 33 percent of all respondents felt it was a sincere effort by Jay Z, but only 17 percent felt it was a sincere effort by the league.

37% ‘Bothered’ by Political Ads from President Trump and Bloomberg During Super BowlThere was a rare insertion of political advertising included in the television broadcast of the game – with ads from the Michael Bloomberg and Donald Trump campaigns – and 37 percent were bothered to have them included. Forty-one percent of Democrats said they were bothered while 25 percent of Republicans said the same. Among Independents, 43 percent of said they were bothered.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone February 3-5 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.

What was the primary device you used to watch the game, a TV, phone, tablet or computer or did you watch on multiple screens?

1 – TV 92

2 – Phone 1

3 – Tablet 0

4 – Computer 4

5 – Multiple Screens 3

6 – Don’t know

3. What did you enjoy more, the game, the halftime or the commercials?

1 – Game 65

2 – Halftime 19

3 – Commercials 12

4 – Don’t know/No Opinion 4

Did you see any commercials during the broadcast that made you want to purchase the product advertised

1 – Yes 17

2 – No 81

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 1

President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg both paid for campaign ads to be run during the game. Did it bother you that politics was injected into the broadcast of the Super Bowl?

1 – Yes 37

2 – No 59

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 4

The NFL partnered with pop icon Jay Z at the start of the 2019-20 season in an attempt to amplify the league’s efforts to promote social justice initiatives. Were you aware of this partnership?

1 – Yes 26

2 – No 72

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 3

Do you think the partnership was a sincere effort by the NFL to promote social justice initiatives or simply a publicity stunt?

1 – Sincere effort 17

2 – Publicity stunt 57

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 27

Do you think the partnership was a sincere effort by Jay Z to promote social justice initiatives or simply a publicity stunt?

1 – Sincere effort 33

2 – Publicity stunt 39

3 – Don’t know/No opinion 28

How closely would you say you follow sports, very closely, closely, not closely or not at all?

1 – Very closely 17

2 – Closely 34

3 – Not closely 29

4 – Not at all 20

How do you identify yourself politically, as a Democrat, as a Republican, as an Independent or not at all?

1 – Democrat 32

2 – Republican 27

3 – Independent 27

4 – None 12

5 – Don’t know/No opinion 4

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be the third most diverse national Catholic university in the nation.

During the past five years, the University has invested more than $165 million in new campus buildings and renovations. And in 2015, Seton Hall launched a School of Medicine as well as a College of Communication and the Arts. The University’s beautiful main campus in suburban South Orange, N.J. is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is located prominently in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. opened in the summer of 2018. The IHS campus houses the University’s College of Nursing, School of Health and Medical Sciences and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute, brought to you by The Stillman School of Business, and directed by Rick Gentile – a faculty member at Seton Hall University and 10 time Emmy Award winner for his work as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of CBS Sports.